Den Ciul & Dawn Lyons -- "We build, sell, service, repair, rent, restore, tune, and transport harpsichords, clavichords, spinets, virginals, forte pianos and other historical keyboard instruments. Our shop is in Toronto, Ontario Canada, but our "territory" is much larger. With our trusty Van Strype we travel regularly to visit our clients and their instruments in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and the states of Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana; New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and both Carolinas (we really like that, do call us if you are from a warm place!). We also do consulting and appraisals as well as sales and service. If you are looking for a harpsichord, or just want to find out more about them, you've come to the right place. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Carey Beebe is probably the most traveled and best known Australian harpsichord maker. After a music degree and three performance diplomas he became more interested in harpsichord construction, and trained at the prominent American workshop of D. Jacques Way. In 1982 he was made the youngest ever International Agent for Zuckermann Harpsichords Inc, but since 1999 has been working exclusively with Marc Ducornet and THE PARIS WORKSHOP.

“As an instrument builder, I am not very sensitive to contact through Internet. For those who love to touch wood and other natural materials, to hear a sound, a voice, for those whose daily life is composed of nuances, sensitivity, and, it must be confessed, subjectivity, the screen seems cold, anonymous and even arrogant by its pretentions to bring everything to us, served at home. What is more, to try to describe our activity would be to limit it. Each instrument is a unique creation and we are continually designing new models, and engaging in projects, restaurations, repairs, or supplying instruments for major music festivals, concerts and recordings. We are also continually researching historic and new materials. .... So this site will not be exhaustive. It will, however, provide you with some simple information on our instruments, presenting you with different models and some photos. ..“

Hubbard Harpsichords specializes in crafting harpsichords. We offer a full line of custom instruments based on originals produced in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. We also offer a number of these instruments in kit form for those who enjoy the indescribable adventure of recreating an instrument of the past.

Welcome to Zuckermann Harpsichords International, the world’s leading maker of historically-based keyboard instruments. A harpsichord is more than simply an instrument upon which one makes music; it is also a decorative object, a visual as well as an aural feast. Our superior-quality harpsichords, clavichords, spinets and virginals are closely based on the best extant antiques from the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. We seek not to copy them as much as to recreate their baroque and early-classical motifs. The results are instruments of ageless beauty and sound.

* Born in Salzburg / Austria
* secondary school in Salzburg
* chemical study (1st section) in Innsbruck
* technical college for violin and guitar making in Hallstatt
* education and final examination for organbuilding
* Independent workshop for clavichord- and harpsichord building since 1990

The Harpsichord Clearing House contains the most comprehensive inventory of early keyboard instruments for sale in North America. HCH has been building and brokering since 1969, and, today, represents instruments from virtually every builder.
Our Gallery, located between Boston, MA and Providence, RI houses over 45 new and used harpsichords, clavichords, fortepianos, and organs for you to play and compare.

“Curiosity Started Me Building Harpsichords

Today it is as strong as it was when I began my first instrument in 1973. Every new harpsichord is a voyage of discovery. This is because of the manner in which I work.

It starts with designing the instrument. I base my design on one or more existing instruments of a certain builder or a school of building.

I don't copy: I want to design the instrument the way that builder would have done with the materials available now and following the wishes of my client. I use the experience I gained from previous harpsichords I made. The process continues in the building phase: working on, I continually ask myself why the builder made the choices he made and that leads to all kinds of ideas, which I pursue. I work from the whole, from which the details arise, and when I change a detail, all changes, so adjustments may be necessary again. On the one hand it is seeking, on the other hand it is to be inspired.

Because of this way of working I cannot make more than 3 to 4 instruments per year.

The result always turns out to be good: the last harpsichord always is the best I ever made. But I can only hear that when it is properly played upon for the first time, by someone who really can do that, when player and music merge and the instrument in fact disappears. That is the way I want to make my instruments: that one doesn't hear the instrument, just music.”

“Over the past 30 years, Yves Beaupré harpsichords have won acclaim for the beauty of their sound and appearance, as well as for their stability and mechanical reliability.

Yves Beaupré - himself a harpsichordist - draws his inspiration from the main schools of harpsichord-making. By visiting important collections of historic instruments, including those in Antwerp, Edinburgh, Paris, and Washington, he has intensively studied representative models of these schools. He respects the traditions of his craft in his choice of materials, dimensions, and acoustic properties. He is convinced, nevertheless, that understanding and interpreting tradition results in instruments that are artistically and musically superior to slavish copies. Each Yves Beaupré harpsichord is an original.

Instruments can be expertly, tastefully, and appropriately decorated by Danièle Forget."

MARGARET F. HOOD, fortepiano and harpsichord designer and maker, died June 7, 2008. Margaret was born Nov. 19, 1937 in New York City and grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. She graduated from The Greenwich Academy in 1954 and continued her education at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts where she pursued her interests in philosophy, religion and art. Upon graduation cum laude from Mt. Holyoke in 1958 Margaret continued the pursuit of her intellectual and academic interests at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. Along with her academic work Margaret did calligraphic and artifact restoration work for the Bade Archeological Museum at PSR. At graduation in 1961 she was awarded a Danforth Fellowship at Duke University for the following year. Margaret's youthful love of horses remained with her throughout her life. She developed her skills not only in riding but in training in the English traditions of jumping, cross country and dressage. Boxes of ribbons attest to the level of her success in horsemanship. Margaret came from a family of painters and she continued the tradition with an extensive repertoire of styles and techniques. She added to that tradition by applying her artistic talents and skills to the painting of historically appropriate paintings and decorations on the lids and soundboards of harpsichords. In the 1970s Margaret began a career as a builder of historically correct reproductions of early keyboard instruments, harpsichords, clavichords and fortepianos. She was for a time an agent for Zuckerman Harpsichords and then, after extensive research in Europe and the US, she founded her own company, Margaret Hood Fortepianos [http://fortepianos.pair.com].She proceeded to build instruments of her own design, based on her research and analysis of surviving original instruments and the written records from the time in which the instruments were built. Her instruments and her scholarship have earned her a national and international reputation as a builder of exceptionally fine instruments, particularly reproductions of the pianos of Nannette Streicher, whose instruments were highly praised by Beethoven and were his preferred choice to play in performance. Margaret also earned national and international recognition among Beethoven scholars and early music performers for her research and publications with regard to Beethoven and the instruments of his time. In addition, Margaret wrote and published two technical manuals, one on repair and maintenance of harpsichords, and one on repair and maintenance of fortepianos. Margaret was united in marriage with C. Ellsworth Hood in 1961. She is survived by her husband, Ellsworth, her daughter, Vivian Andrea, and her son, Thomas William. With her passing the world of music has suffered a loss of immense proportions and her family a loss greater still. A private memorial celebration of Margaret and her life will be held by the family at a later date."

Welcome to my web site. Yes, I'm the author of The Harpsichord Owner's Guide, but I've done more than just write HOG. Let me tell you a little about myself.
I'm a musicologist, retired from the University of Iowa in 1992. I'm still actively engaged in scholarship and just completed a book on the history of the harpsichord (released in May, 2003). That instrument has been the object of my scholarly attention for more that 25 years. I've written a number of articles and reviews on it, and presented papers on early keyboard matters at many scholarly conferences. For almost 15 years I was involved in acoustical research on the harpsichord, and have done articles and presentations on that topic, too. I've written six books, three of which deal with the harpsichord. And of course, as an agent of Zuckermann Harpsichords International, I build harpsichords, too. ...

I have been making and restoring keyboard instruments in my own shop since 1977. During this time, I have restored instruments for regional and state museums and private customers. This has allowed me first-hand access to original instruments over a long period of time, and given me the opportunity to learn from them. This process has shaped my working habits and benefited my own instruments. Except for those listed as such, the instruments from my shop are not copies. They are based on research and restoration of several old instruments. Important details such as key ratio and dip or jack weight are, however, faithfully reproduced in the light of the historic traditions. Each instrument is made entirely of solid wood using only hot (hide) glue. ...

"We have been custom-building fine early keyboard instruments such as harpsichords, clavichords, virginals, spinets, and fortepianos since 1968. Please browse our extensive line of custom made finished instruments and instrument kits that you can assemble yourself.

We also provide instrument finishing such as soundboard and case paintings, gilding, and original artwork as specified by the customer. Other services to address your early keyboard needs include restringing, requilling, voicing, and instrument rentals.

Let us help you to discover the fulfillment of owning a beautifully made classical harpsichord, clavichord, virginal, spinet or fortepiano. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

“In addition to my regular building and restoration, I also offer a variety of services regarding the stringing of historical pianos, both originals and copies. These include the interpretation of existing gauge marks, the devising of entirely new stringing schedules when no marks are present and the design and fabrication of wound bass strings of all types and materials, both open and closed wrapped. I rely upon a combination of evidence drawn from original instruments, information gleaned from original piano making manuals of the 19th century, and a sophisticated computerized analysis technique. Surviving strings are faithfully copied in wrapping form and hitchpin loop. Bass core wires are always pre-stretched before wrapping until they stabilize at 80% rupture load in order to assure rapid stability of pitch once mounted and prevent in-situ stretching which can create loose wraps. Modern steel core stock is never used, and every attempt is made to find the best possible solution from among the various available “historical” wire types.“

"PETER BAVINGTON was born in 1941 and educated in London and Exeter. After working for many years as a Civil Servant, he decided in 1982 on a complete change of career and enrolled at the London College of Furniture (now London Metropolitan University), where he studied early keyboard instruments under Lewis Jones. In 1985 he obtained his Higher National Diploma in Musical Instrument Technology with distinction in every unit.

He then spent two years working with John Rawson before founding his own London workshop, making and restoring harpsichords, clavichords and fortepianos. In addition to individual musicians, his customers have included the Royal Academy of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the Hochschule der Künste Berlin. As well as making instruments, Peter undertakes historical and acoustic research, and is a regular participant in international organological conferences. He is a founder member and past Chairman of the British Clavichord Society.

Recently, Peter has focussed mainly on the clavichord; he believes that to produce a really responsive clavichord is the supreme challenge for a keyboard instrument maker. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

At Michael Johnson Harpsichords we create instruments that suit all periods. Superb craftsmanship has made our instruments renowned for their reliability and stability. They are hand-crafted from air-dried timbers, using the same traditional methods as makers in the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries. We build harpsichords that the finest musicians and academies throughout the world choose for solo, continuo and orchestral work. ...

Steven Sørli -- "Sorli Harpsichords are designed to provide a genuine experience of early keyboard music. Inspired by antiques, all models are constructed using a combination of intuition and ingenuity to ensure the utmost in musical expression. Outstanding qualities of the Sorli sound include incisive clarity, richness, unified balance, pronounced attack, dynamic projection and musical versatility. The action is crisp and solid providing a secure sense of control.

Steven Sorli creates each instrument individually as a work of art. His aesthetic abilities contribute to a tasteful blend of color and form which add a complementary balance to the tonal shades. The diverse textures adorning his harpsichords are reminiscent of those executed by the masters of old. Mr. Sorli has been the recipient of a craftsman's fellowship grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

I have been building clavichords and harpsichords since 1977. Using traditional materials and methods, I am known for instruments of rich character and 'color,' and for attention to details of touch and reliability. I work alone, which allows me to focus all my energy and passion o­n each instrument.

It is very important, I believe, that I am a player myself. All of my instruments receive a proper playing-in, and I expect them to satisfy my own demands as a player before I send them out into the world.

I have built instruments for the Indiana University Early Music Institute, Reed College, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Brigham Young University, Southwest Oregon Community College, the University of Oregon, Willamette University, Central Washington University and Boston University. My private clients value their privacy, and I respect it. But I will be happy to refer serious inquiries to them for an independent view of my work, as well as of my timeliness and general business practices ...

Marc Ducornet & Emmanuel Danset have developed an extensive range of instruments suitable for amateur to professional builders. Each instrument is offered in several versions, according to how much work you would like to do yourself. Every model is pictured in our Gallery, from where there are links to the detailed specification pages. o­n our site you can also find information about orders & deliveries, and spare parts & accessories ...

"I've worked with Kevin Fryer since 1999, and together with the client we enjoy creating an overall visual scheme designed to compliment, but not compete with the instrument itself. I've applied the same sensitivity to the integrity of tonal and visual qualities in a number of highly successful collaborations with other instrument makers. " ...

My interest in early keyboard instruments dates back to 1978. Since 1985 I have been making harpsichords, spinets, virginals and clavichords in my own workshop in the northwest of Austria. I have also restored a few original instruments for private owners in Austria.

My instruments are never exact copies. They are either inspired by a particular historical instrument which has in most cases been personally examined, or they are built in the style of a certain instrument-making school and period. Each of my instruments is individually handcrafted to order. They are built o­n strictly historical lines using appropriate methods and materials which would have been used by the old masters. Working o­n my own I build o­nly a small number of instruments per year. I make most of the components myself, including keyboards, action parts, tuning pins and various other items like tangents and overspun strings for clavichords. The action consists of traditional wooden jacks with no regulating screws, the tuning pins are hand-forged with flat tops and no holes but they have a light hand-filed thread.

Most recent restorations include a square piano which is said to have been in the possession of Konstanze Mozart.